In this ephemeral life, there are a few things that we have no control over. All we can do is try our best to mitigate them as much as possible.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, is one of those problems that one can not stop from happening. It is a syndrome that affects the ovaries. There is no cure for this disorder, but it can be controlled.
As PCOS has to do a lot with insulin and other hormonal imbalances, the best way to deal with it is to maintain a protein-based diet. But, not all types of protein intake are ideal in this situation. Proteins that are low in fat, rich in amino acids and other macronutrients should be preferred. That’s why not all but a few numbers of protein powders and PCOS go very well together.
If you are looking for the best protein powder for PCOS, you will hopefully have that by the end of this article.
[wptb id=3185]What is PCOS?
Let’s have a slight insight into what PCOS is. The name may refer to some kind of a cyst, but it is not. it is a physical condition that affects the ovaries. Thus this syndrome only occurs in women, affecting their ovary, menstruation cycle, and to some degree, women’s fertility. It also causes abnormal hormonal discharge in the female body- mostly Insulin, Testosterone, and Estrogen.
Ovaries affected with this syndrome happen to have a large number of harmless follicles, which create obstruction releasing eggs. As a result, getting pregnant can be difficult for some women.
The reason behind PCOS is still in the dark, but in most cases, the patient has been seen to have a family history of the syndrome. People affected with PCOS should be showing irregular periods, unwanted hair in different parts of the body, excess hair fall, sudden weight gain, etc.
Teenage is mostly when the body starts revealing symptoms, though some patients never even face any problems. Nearly half the patients have no record of delivering signs.
Although the disease is depressing but not deadly, it can’t be cured but be mitigated by treating the symptoms. A large number of females have successfully conceived and become wonderful mothers by maintaining a proper lifestyle, diet, and a few medications.
Diet is the topic we will be talking about today.
Why Protein Is Important in a PCOS Diet
You might be wondering and suspecting how come a problem in the ovaries has something to do with proteins. The human body is mysterious, and everything in it is somehow interconnected. It can be described as a butterfly effect.
As discussed before, the treatment is to treat the symptoms- and thus, protein comes into action. This macromolecule works in myriad ways-
- Helps Controlling Glucose in Blood: Pursuing a protein-based diet helps the person maintain the required amount of carbohydrates and avoid an overflow of glucose in the blood.
- Alleviates Food Craving: Doctors suggest patients maintain optimal weight. However, patients feel an abnormal amount of food cravings, which leads them to be overweight. Eating protein helps them feel full for a long time, especially at breakfast, so the craving for more food reduces drastically.
- Protect Muscle Mass: It is effortless to gain weight rather losing it. When we are on a diet to lose body weight, a big chunk of that loosened weight comes from our muscles, which is not suitable for health.
Intaking protein helps PCOS patients lose weight but maintain their muscle mass.
- Improves Fertility: Consuming vegetable proteins can keep a terrific impact on women fertility.
- Hormone Levels: Protein helps maintain suitable hormone levels in the patient’s body.
Best protein powder for PCOS
Research and experts both refer that a protein-based diet can come to a great help fighting PCOS. Protein powders suitable for a diet specialized for PCOS patients can be a great help in this fight. Let’s have a few of the best protein powder for women-
1. Drink Wholesome Protein Powder
- Flavours: Chocolate, Mocha, Peanut Butter, Vanilla
- Calories: 180 per serving
- Protein: 20 grams per serving
- Carbs: 6 grams net per serving
- Serving Size: 46 grams
- Ingredients: Egg white, Chocolate, Cocoa, Monk fruit.
Protein powders are well known to cause stomach problems- such as bloating, constipation, cramps, diarrhea, gas, etc. The Drink Wholesome Protein Powder is handmade and specially formulated to prevent problems in the belly.
It is perfect for PCOS patients cause there are a lot of veg proteins and no processed sugar in it.
The protein essence is derived from egg white, coconut, cocoa, and monk fruit, and none of the ingredients is too processed. As there are no additives, it is hard to mix up. So, it is better to use a blender to mix properly. For a better taste, try to mix it with 1-2 cups of oat or almond milk.
This protein powder comes in four different flavors- chocolate, Mocha, Peanut Butter, and Vanilla. The mocha flavor has some caffeine-containing in it: better to avoid it if you don’t want the extra caffeine. Also, the coconut flavor has a mild taste of the ingredient. Better to go for the vanilla or chocolate if you don’t want either the caffeine or the taste of coconut.
Containing all the natural ingredients and nutrients in a good proportion, this is one of the best protein powder for women.
2. Drink Wholesome Vegan Protein Powder
- Flavors: Chocolate, Mocha, Peanut Butter, Vanilla
- Calories: 210 per serving
- Protein: 20 grams per serving
- Carbs: 15 grams net per serving
- Serving Size: 46 grams
- Ingredients: Chickpeas, Peanuts, Chocolate, Cocoa, Monk fruit.
A protein powder that tastes better is probably desired by everyone. The Drink Wholesome Vegan Protein Powder is gaining popularity for being flavourful and tasty.
It is very minimally processed, preserving the natural taste. So you can still feel the taste of the ingredients. Also, it will keep you full for a very long time which makes it one of the best meal replacement shakes for PCOS.
Chickpeas, peanuts, coconut, cocoa, and monk fruits are the ingredient used to make this protein powder. As there is no artificial sugar used, they are very competent for diabetes and PCOS patients, and also chickpeas are one of the best vegan protein sources.
This powder can be found in two different flavors- one is vanilla and the other one peanut butter chocolate. It is recommended to use oat milk or almond milk to make the shake for a better taste.
In case you have a terrible feeling for coconut, try the unflavoured one. All the nutrients are the same in both.
3. HerBalance PCOS
- Calories: 17.9per serving
- Protein: 0.24 grams per serving
- Carbs: 4.02 grams net per serving
- Fat: 0.10 grams per serving
- Serving Size: 5 grams
- Ingredients: Aloe Vera, Ashoka, Shatavari, Gokhru, Chasteberry, Rhodiola Rosea, Res Raspberry etc
The Herbalance PCOS is concentratedly designed to help women with PCOS. The name already says a lot about the product.
There are 21 organic therapeutic ingredients to fight back the syndrome and make the ovulation regular. It also contains vitamin B8 and chromium, which improve fertility in women.
It contains nine different herbal extracts like Aloe Vera, Ashoka, Shatavari, Gokhru, Chasteberry, Rhodiola Rosea, Res Raspberry, etc. These ingredients are proved to be very helpful in mitigating the imbalance of reproductive hormones.
Also, there are digestive enzymes used to avoid any problem related to digestion, bloating, gas and nausea.
It tastes comparatively better than other protein powders. Just take two scoops, mix it well in a glass of water and enjoy the drink.
4. Vega Essentials Plant Based Protein Powder
- Calories: 140per serving
- Protein: 20 grams per serving
- Carbs: 2 grams net per serving
- Fat: 4 grams per serving
- Serving Size: 36 grams
- Ingredients: Carrot, Broccoli, Spirulina, Other Green Vegetables, and Sweetened Stevia
- Flavors: Chocolate, Mocha, Vanilla.
Patients with PCOS often have to break their sweat in search of necessary nutrients because of a protein-based diet plan. Well, the Vega Essential Plant Based Protein Powder is here to take care of not just the protein needs but of everything.
It includes all 12 types of vitamins, fibers, omega-3, and antioxidants in every serving. To elevate the immunity system, it provides an excellent amount of vitamin A, C, and D. One drink per day is good enough to boost you properly.
Its protein is extracted all from vegan sources like peas, flaxseed, and hemp- so essentially, the protein is helpful in improving fertility in women.
Manufacturers tried to make it as healthy as possible by avoiding added sugar, gluten, dairy, soy and glycomics.
You can consume it any way you like- sprinkle over the food, add in any recipe or make a shake. Baking is also possible with this protein powder: just swap the ⅛ to ¼ of the flour with it.
Altogether, this is the best plant based protein powder for PCOS affected women.
5. Designer Protein Aria Women’s Wellness Protein Powder
- Calories: 90per serving
- Protein: 15 grams per serving
- Carbs: 3 grams net per serving
- Fat: 1 gram per serving
- Serving Size: 21 grams
- Ingredients:
- Flavours: Vanilla.
Effective and easy to make- the Designer Protein Aria Women’s Wellness Protein Powder is one of the best protein powder for PCOS affected women.
It is specially designed for women and is fully packed with the necessary ingredients like Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Biotin, Potassium and Phosphorus. All these are very effective for better skin and mitigating the imbalance of reproductive hormones in PCOS affected women.
There are multiple types of proteins rich with Amino acids to provide more nutrient value. All of the proteins in it are very natural, completely GMO-free. Also, there were no gluten, additives, artificial flavors, or preservatives used in the making, making it very healthy and safe.
The ingredient also includes GMO-free fibers and Aloe Vera to help improve the digestive system.
All the ingredients are processed mostly organically through a series of cold filtrations. So it is straightforward to make- just take scoops and mix with two cups of water.
6. Vega Protein & Greens Chocolate Protein Powder
- Calories: 120 per serving
- Protein: 20 grams per serving
- Carbs: 2 grams net per serving
- Fat: 0.2 gram per serving
- Serving Size: 33 grams
- Ingredients: Green vegetables like organic Kale, Alfalfa, Broccoli, and Spinach.
- Flavors: Berry, Chocolate, Vanilla. Chocolate-Vanilla.
The Vega Protein and Greens Protein Powder are full of proteins and other nutrients. It has some intrinsic qualities to help PCOS affected women fight the situation.
This protein powder is made out of green vegetables like organic Kale, Alfalfa, Broccoli and Spinach. All kinds of dairy products and gluten products have been avoided for better health benefits. Instead of sugar, they used sweet stevia so that consumers get the taste but not any health issues.
The proteins have been extracted from all-natural and veg resources like- peas, brown rice, sacha inchi etc. So the proteins are all organic and rich in all nine kinds of amino acids.
Amino acids help women maintain strong bones and better skin; they also balance their hormone levels to some degree.
So, with all these benefits, this protein powder can bring good health to both men and women, especially helping woman fight their PCOS situation.
Avoid Dairy and Food Additives
Whatever food source you choose to satiate your quest for protein, dairy and food additives should always be avoided.
Dairy products tend to have more fats than one should intake in a PCOS situation. As a result, the patient may end up with severe hormonal imbalance problems and overweight.
On the other hand, food additives are just silent killers. This thing helps preserve a product for a longer time and provides added taste. But in the long run, it hampers health with side effects.
Small consumption for a long time may lead the person towards obesity, high blood pressure, cardiac problems and hormonal imbalance.
So, we strongly suggest everybody, regardless of having PCOS or not- avoid products with dairy and food additives as much as possible.
Avoid Protein Concentrates and isolate:
Though experts advise patients to pursue a well-maintained protein-rich dietary plan, but also prohibit using protein concentrates and isolates.
The reason is our body requires all kinds of food values in a proper proportion. Most of the food already has some level of proteins in it and also other food nutrients. But protein concentrates and isolates fundamentally lack every other nutrient as they are supplements just containing proteins and nothing else. No food fiber, carbs, or calories are included.
Additionally, there is a higher risk of dehydration, kidney damage, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and cancer due to long-term consumption of them.
Final Verdict:
Science has solved problems and cured diseases that no one has ever thought of. Maybe the day is not very far away when the PCOS will be forgotten and treated as easily as colds and fevers.
Till then, it will remain an issue and has to be dealt with sincerely. Consult with proper nutrition to make a suitable protein-based diet. Grab one of the best protein powder for PCOS affected womenwe have discussed above and maintain the regulations strictly.
We hope and pray for the well-being of all the PCOS affected women out there in the world.